Historic playhouse with roots in USO gutted in fire

Barrett Township Fire Department was dispatched about 12:55 a.m. after a resident called the 911 center to report seeing smoke coming from the area, according to Monroe County Communications Center.
A Barrett Township firefighter said the back of the building was "gone" when they arrived.
"You could look from the back to the front," said the firefighter who was back at the station this morning.
The flames quickly spread from the rear of the building where the stage is located and consumed the entire structure.
Firefighters remained on scene until about 7 a.m., dousing the remains of the wooden structure that has been a theatrical attraction for more than 60 years in the Poconos. The 500-seat summer theater billed itself as "Broadway in the Poconos."
The playhouse is located in Mountainhome on Playhouse Lane at the junction of Routes 390 and 191,about a half mile from the fire station on Route 191.
Ralph Miller owns the Pocono Playhouse as well as the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope. The Pocono Playhouse had finished its 2009 season so no shows are currently scheduled.
According to the "Insiders' Guide to the Pocono Mountains" by Janet Bregman-Taney and Kenneth R. Clark, the 500-seat playhouse was built in 1947 by USO show manager Rowena Stevens, who wanted to give returning soldiers the style of entertainment they enjoyed in the service. The playhouse was styled after those the Army built.
The summer theater's first production was "Dear Ruth," starring Richard Kiley. Other well-known actors who have performed in the theatre over the years include, Larry Hagman, Hal Linden, Gloria Vanderbilt and Eddie Mekka.
" According to the "Insider's Guide," auditions and rehearsals for both playhouses are held in New York City. The Pocono Playhouse features seven musicals between June and October, according to the the guide. The Bucks County Playhouse, which has a yearlong schedule of events, had had its share of near disasters from floodwaters. The playhouse is located along the Delaware River in a former grist mills and flooding in recent years as forced temporary closures of the theater during repairs.